How to become an art collector

We all love Barry Hoggard and James Wagner, two friendly, culture-loving guys who not only publish ArtCat, The Opinionated Art Guide to New York,  but have also amassed a large, very personal and diverse art collection over more than twenty years. Through Sunday, October 28, a portion of their 900-piece collection is on view at  English Kills in Bushwick. Gallerist Chris Harding selected work for the thoughtfully-hung exhibition that includes pieces by Nancy Spero, Keith Haring, David Reed, Wolfgang Tillmans, Clement Valla, Eric Doeringer, Sharon Louden, Felix Droese, Jules de Balincourt, Marco Breuer, Tom Fuhs, Bryan Zimmerman, Yasser Aggour, Michael J. Dvorkin, Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Jason Simon, Louise Fishman, Clarina Bezzola, Michael Meads, Mike Asente, Tracey Baran, Teresa Moro, Jaishri Abichandani, Rupert Deese, Alejandro Diaz, David Humphrey, Matt Dojny, Dan Golden, Gregory Botts, Rochelle Feinstein, Robert Wilson, Hiroshi Sunairi, Charles Goldman, Michael Williams, Wijnanda Deroo, Amy Feldman, Janine Gordon, Joe Ovelman, Kim Schifino, Joyce Pensato, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Margaret Lee, Ben Godward, and Kiki Smith.

Yowsa–what a roster! I stopped by last week and was pleased to see that the checklist includes the provenance of each piece. They all have stories to tell– some were acquired from galleries, others at fundraising art auctions or art fairs, and many from the artists themselves. But don’t try to buy anything: Hoggard and Wagner have never sold a single work from the collection and they don’t intend to now. According to the press materials, no sale of any kind is involved in the English Kills exhibition.

So how do you become an art collector? Not by spending a lot of money, but by buying affordable pieces that you love over a long period of time. Easy.

And don’t miss this: Artist and gallerist Austin Thomas, famous for insisting that real artists support other artists by buying art, talks about collecting with Wagner, Hoggard and Harding on The James Kalm Report.

Hoggard Wagner Art Collection at English Kills, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY. Through Sunday, October 28, 2012. Note: Closing Party, Sunday, October 28, 5-7 PM

Image at top:  Michael Williams, At Mr. McCook’s, 2006, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches. Provenance: Canada Gallery at The Armory Show, Acquisition Year: 2007

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